GARDEN GROVE : Bloody Trio Arrested After Fatal Stabbing

Three men with bloodstained hands and clothes were arrested early Tuesday in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Westminster man found minutes before in a local hotel room.

Homicide investigators found the body of the 20-year-old victim, Tuan Truong, lying in a second floor room of Inn Cal on Garden Grove Boulevard about 2:45 a.m. Just minutes earlier, Officer Mike Johnson had begun following a car that wheeled out of the hotel’s parking lot and started speeding away. Johnson had just pulled the car over near Larson Avenue and Jefferson Street in Garden Grove when he heard an advisory from his police radio about the discovery in the hotel room, police said.

Investigators then searched the car and found knives that they believe may have been used in the slaying, Sgt. George Jaramillo said. All three occupants had blood on both their hands and clothing and were arrested at the scene, police said.

Police arrested Duc H. Truong, 19, of Santa Ana and Khuong Q. Vo, 19, of Fountain Valley on suspicion of murder. Duc Truong is not related to the victim, police said.

Investigators also arrested a 16-year-old Santa Ana teen-ager in connection with the murder. His name was not released because he is a juvenile.

Truong and Vo were being held at County Jail in Santa Ana while the juvenile was taken to Juvenile Hall in Orange.

Some of the suspects may be gang members, but investigators do not believe the slaying was connected to gang activity, Jaramillo said. Police said they do not know why Tuan Truong was killed or whether he knew his attackers.

Police said that Truong was staying in Room 229 of the hotel and that it appeared he may have let his assailants into the room. It was unclear how long Truong had been staying in the room, and hotel officials declined comment Tuesday.